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Published: September 28th 2013
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Over the past five years, I've visited countless temples, most of them Buddhist. I always see people praying and making offerings, but I never quite knew what they were doing. I wanted to know, but had no one to ask. Most of my students and Chinese friends weren't religious and some just considered it superstition. A few knew more, but lacked the English to explain it. And many people I saw at temples were simply tourists, snapping as many photos as they could.
Thailand is a very religious country. It's not religious in that people are always talking about their religion or publicly praying each day. But the history of religions--Buddhism and Animism in particular--are woven into the fabric of day to day life. The Land God shine in front of my apartment building (and many other apartments and shopping malls and businesses) is a good example. The numerous Buddhist temples, or Wats, is another. It is not uncommon for a boy to take time and study in a Wat for a month or longer before rejoining the secular life and pursuing education or a career, though this tradition may be diminishing. I think it might be more common outside
Wat Hua Lam Pong
Getting ready to go inside of Bangkok.
It's common for Thais to go to the temple on their birthday and make offerings and ask for blessings for the new year. After expressing interest, my Thai language teacher said he would be happy to take me to a temple and teach me how to properly show respect to Buddha and how to make an offering. Finally, after five years of not quite getting it, I was going to get some answers!
Our first attempt was rained out. Rain was sheeting down. Streets were flooding. The courtyard surrounding the wat was flooded and looked like a wading pool. We were soaked. They even closed the temple early.
Our second attempt went more smoothly. We went to Wat Hua Lam Pong near Chinatown. It actually has both Thai and Chinese style statues and offerings. We looked around a bit, admiring the beauty of the place, before we went inside.
Inside the main building it was magnificent. Deep red walls with golden pictures, a golden umbrella over Buddha's head, and a high ceiling created a sense of calm and quiet peace. It's a space meant for contemplation. I didn't take any photos, though, as this
Wat Hua Lam Pong
Another small building isn't a tourist site like some wats are.
He showed me how to bow three times and he explained what the offering boxes were for (I couldn't read the labels). A few other people also came in to pray. On our way out, other girls were going in with lotus flowers, a common offering. But the tray where they usually go was missing! So they filed out, looking for another place to lay their flowers.
Back outside, we went to the statues in front of the main building. There were many statues to choose from, including a former King! Some of the Buddhas looked Chinese and one looked Thai. My teacher and I lit our three incense sticks and bowed, placing them before the statue we'd selected. We also lit candles, and affixed them to the table in front of the Buddha with freshly dripped wax. He says the incense is an offering, and the candle is like a light for you, perhaps leading the way or for luck.
All in all we were there for about an hour. It was a nice temple, with no tourists and I didn't get any strange looks as a foreigner.
Wat Hua Lam Pong
I love this window. I left happy, feeling at peace.
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